The New Chemical Light

First Treatise

I said there is only one [nature] through which God does all things, not because God would not know how to work without it (since He himself made nature and is omnipotent), but because it pleased Him so, and so He acted. All things proceed from that one nature, nor is there anything in the world outside of nature. And although sometimes abortions In this context, "abortions" refers to failed natural processes or malformed results, like a stunted plant or a failed alchemical transmutation. occur, this is not the fault of nature, but the fault of either the Craftsman or the location. This nature is divided into four places Likely referring to the four Aristotelian elements: Fire, Air, Water, and Earth., in which it performs all these things that appear and are in shadow; for things are rather in shadow than truly appearing. It is changed into male and female, and is likened to Mercury original: "Mercurio"; in alchemy, Mercury represents the fluid, transformative principle that can bridge different states of matter., because it joins itself to various places, and according to the locations of the earth it produces good or bad things, although there are no truly "bad" places in the earth, as it seems to us.

However, there are only four qualities, and these are in all things, yet they do not agree; one always exceeds another. Nature, however, is not visible, though it acts visibly, for it is a volatile spirit spiritus volatilis A subtle, active essence that moves through matter to animate it. which performs its office in bodies. It has its place and seat in the divine will. For us in this place, it is useful for nothing else except that we might know its locations, which are more suitable or closer to it; that is, so that we may know how to join thing to thing according to nature, lest wood be mixed with man, or an Ox or Animal with Metal, but rather that each thing should act upon its own kind, and then nature will also perform its duty. The place of nature is no other than, as stated above, in the will of G O D. Searchers of nature original: "Scrutatores naturæ"; a term for natural philosophers or alchemists who "scrutinize" the world's secrets. ought to be...